This is incredible (pun intended.) The Florida legislature has begun to consider production of a vanity plate that would look like this.
I'm pretty sure this is another wolf in sheep's clothing move by some "conservative" legislator. Pandering to people's wanting choices like that's what freedom is and using it to back door conservative christianistic power mongering into the mainstream. Want to test the freedom of choice claim? Try to imagine the state painting the symbol for an atheist vanity tag. Think also about how strained a thing it is for the legislature to "just be making this available" without crossing the no state support of religion line.
The Bill of Rights says:
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
It doesn't say "a religion" it says "religion" That seems to me to be very clearly prohibiting the State of Florida providing a service that paints a cross and stained glass window with the words "I believe" on a state required auto license.
Even worse is the argument equating belief in a religion with "belief" in a team (one assumes some of the teams are of the several athletically active institutions of "higher learning" in the state). It once again proves the point that on the spectrum of religious expression that extends from vacuous to enlightened (and you can pretty much put the religious among the founding fathers on the enlightened end) conservative is often at best one notch from vaccous. Who elects these people?
2 comments:
well, technically the Congress of the United States had nothing to do with that license plate decision... did it? nor was any law made... was it? oh, how broadly the Constitution can be interpreted! those things notwithstanding, i definitely see your point. could you imagine a license plate with a cresent moon and a star (instead of a cross and a stained-glass window), and instead of the phrase 'i believe,' i would say, 'we all have our own jihad to fight..'
"NOT ON MY WATCH!" says the decider.
mitch | Homepage | 05.08.08 - 9:38 pm | #
By the same token, "There shall be no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting or penalizing the free exercise thereof. Religious freedom shall not justify practices inconsistent with public morals, peace or safety. No revenue of the state or any political subdivision or agency thereof shall ever be taken from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or in aid of any sectarian institution." - Florida Constitution - Article I, Section 3.
Andrew | 05.14.08 - 10:15 pm | #
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